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Irish designer launches brand new 'Fónta' folding bike
Kieran McCardle of CKE Cycles in Kilkenny announces a new high-end design with an ingenious folding mechanism...
Posted by Peter Eland on Friday 15 Jun 2007 Press release follows:
Posted by John H (xxxxxxxx) on Friday 15 Jun 2007
Very nifty. What I want to know is how the chain stays on when folding - looks like chainring and sprockets end up at right angles to each other! Must be very very clever...Posted by Kieran Mc (ckecycles@gmail.com) on Friday 15 Jun 2007
Thanks for your comments John. As you rightly observed the rear sprockets and chain do end up at right angles to each other. The simple solution was to lift the chain away from the sprockets, the clever bit was to design this into the fold system. As the user folds and unfolds the Fónta this process is fully automated.K Posted by Tim (teejayeff-nospam@mac.com) on Friday 15 Jun 2007
£2k plus VAT! Someone's having a laugh with what looks like a school design project. Posted by Ben - Kinetics (ben@kinetics-online.co.uk) on Friday 15 Jun 2007
That's clever - I guess the chain gets lifted in the middle and twisted? A very neat way of doing it...Posted by Kieran Mc (ckecycles@gmail.com) on Friday 15 Jun 2007
Belt Drive version twists in the middle however the chain drive version disengages with rear cassette when folded, detailed pics will be posted on www.fonta.ie in July 07. Posted by Karen S (shanleybros@eircom.net) on Saturday 16 Jun 2007
Congratulations, looks very impressive, clever idea... Posted by Ian - Trikes&Stuff (ian@trikesandstuff.co.uk) on Sunday 17 Jun 2007
Looks very neat, price wise it compares to the top end and should do fine as long as the quality is there, looks like I would expect a folding Moulton to look like.Posted by Matt (xxxxxx) on Sunday 17 Jun 2007
Hmmm - a reinvented, superheavy Airframe bike for £2000. Now why would anyone buy one of these?Posted by John (none) on Sunday 17 Jun 2007
I'm not immediately put off by the price - but weight, no-name components,tidgy little rack, limited gearing ... Well it's no for me, buut the design looks ingenious and if it works there may be a (niche?) market for it.How's about a comparison with the Sinclair A-Bike? (Now on sale in that well-known bike shop - Dixons Digital) Posted by borntoolate (borntoolate@hotmail.co.uk) on Monday 18 Jun 2007
Before I make any judgments i'd like to see a photograph. You know, PHOTOGRAPH, not like the hotels in holiday brochures. I can draw lovely bikes, in fact I can draw a Pedersen really well, and I bet I could draw a Pedersen folded up the size of a crisp packet, but I could'nt begin to build one.Posted by Matt (xxxxxx) on Monday 18 Jun 2007
If I was spending £2000 on a folder, surely a Birdy Rolhoff might be just that little bit more appealing?Posted by flatlander (ntlworld) on Tuesday 19 Jun 2007
Why such negative comments? I'm surprised at the knee-jerk reaction from several people. Surely innovation is to be applauded? Sure it needs to prove itself and I wish Kieran luck in doing that.Posted by David Ing (divirtual@coevolving) on Tuesday 19 Jun 2007
Since I'm 5'2", I guess that this new bicycle is out of my range. In sympathy with women -- I find that sometimes I have to get women's sizes -- this bicycle would seem to be oriented towards taller males. It's not likely to get much traction in south Asia, either!Posted by Ralf Grosser (fahrradgrosser@aol.com) on Wednesday 20 Jun 2007
This folder reminds me of the Italian Diblasi, and als of the Bridgstone Picknica.Sofar only a Drawing. To Quote Dr. Moulton:Don´t talk about it ride it! We will have to see how the endproduct comes out. Ralf Posted by John S (xxxxxxxxxxxxxx) on Wednesday 20 Jun 2007
In response to flatlander, I'd say that what you describe as "negative" comments are due to things such as the excessive weight (a folder that weighs roughly the same as a fully equipped lightweight tourer), limited gear range, what looks like very limited luggage capacity, and so on - not to mention the out of reach for all but the wealthy price.You call it innovation. Some may say it's devising an answer for a problem which doesn't actually exist. And all before we've seen it in the flesh, so to speak. Personally, I'd go with Matt and the Birdy. But not everyone will agree ... isn't that the beauty of Velovision? Posted by UncaJohn (info@prototype.gr) on Wednesday 20 Jun 2007
Hey!Relax! Don't shoot the inventor. This seems to be an early prototype. If you EVER get the chance to see the early prototypes of most of the popular and well working designs you'll be mostly surprised.... Posted by carsten_thies (c.thies@tu-bs.de) on Thursday 21 Jun 2007
The derailleur must be independent from the rear dropout in the folded state - perhaps on that stay curving down? In the drawing it looks like a single sided hub (both rear stays are behind the tyre). Unless the stay carrying the derailleur engages with the hub axle during the unfolding process, chain force will induce some serious stress on hub and rear stays.The other interesting part to me is the suspension. The principle is known from more than a century ago (I think I saw it in Archibald Sharp's "Bicycles and Tricycles"): suspending the triangle of rider contact points relative to a frame carrying the wheels. This necessitates either a sliding action of the stem/steering tube, or indirect steering as shown in the drawing. If there isn't a swing link near the steering rod (there seems to be something attached to the fork crown), any change of the angle of the steering rod in the vertical plane will affect where the front is pointed. \_| O°O Carsten Posted by catherine (catykav@eircom.net) on Monday 25 Jun 2007
hi kieran Luv the bike, do you have a two for one deal???? rachel and ian wanted to know!!!!!lol, does it come in pink? how was the hols? did you go cycling? talk soon byeee Posted by Ralf Grosser (docreynolds@aol.com) on Monday 25 Jun 2007
I would just like to know one thing.Who is selling this bike, and where can I buy it? Ralf Posted by Claire (ckecycles@gmail.com) on Monday 25 Jun 2007
Hi there Ralf,Directly from ckecycles@gmail.com. As you will see on the press release Ralf presently we are taking emails at the above address lodging interest for information or purchase of the bike(place on production schedule), it will be available to purchase initally via our email addr above and then when our website www.fonta.ie goes live mid next month regards Claire @ ckecycles@gmail.com Posted by Marie (mariejrussell@gmail.com) on Monday 25 Jun 2007
Bleedin' brilliant! How soon can you get 4 of these to Boston?Posted by Ralf (Rgrosser@aol.com) on Saturday 30 Jun 2007
Dear UncaJohn.I have seen the working model of some bikes, like the Strida or the Birdy, and I still am surprised... Add a comment
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